Kevin Schwantz Named Grand Marshal of 2022 AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days

30th Annual AMA VMD event will highlight Schwantz’s AMA Superbike and Grand Prix career with Suzuki, and much more

PICKERINGTON, Ohio — AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer and 1993 500cc World Champion Kevin Schwantz has been named Grand Marshal for the 2022 AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days event July 22-24 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio.

AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days is the preeminent — and longest-running — vintage motorcycle event in the country, with over 40,000 attendees each year enjoying off-road and road racing, bike shows, AMA Hall of Fame exhibits, camping, Laps For History on the legendary Mid-Ohio circuit and, of course, the country’s largest motorcycle swap meet.

Schwantz, who was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1999, began riding at a young age and soon became a club-racing phenom — which launched him into a factory ride with the Yoshimura-Suzuki team in 1985 at just 21 years of age.

Schwantz won three AMA Superbike nationals that year and would win many more in the coming three years before heading to Europe in 1989 to contest the 500cc Grand Prix wars. Schwantz won the 500cc championship in 1993, and retired just two years later, his legacy of 25 GP wins, 21 lap records, 29 pole positions — along with his daring and dynamic personality on and off the bike — cemented in motorsports history forever.

Schwantz went on to own and run the Kevin Schwantz Suzuki School, a highly successful riding school based at Road Atlanta and, in later years, at Barber Motorsports Park.

A special highlight of Schwantz’s Grand Marshal appearance — where he’ll sign autographs, speak to enthusiasts from the AMA Soundstage, participate in a Lap For History each day at noon (and lead event attendees around the legendary Mid-Ohio circuit), and more — will be an exclusive showing of his 1985 Yoshimura-Suzuki AMA Superbike, which launched his career and which Schwantz recently acquired for his collection.

“Having not attended the VMD event before,” Schwantz said, “I’m very much looking forward to July. I love vintage motorcycles and the whole classic-bike scene, and I’ve heard such good things about VMD over the years, so it’ll be fun — especially since we’re going to showcase my 1985 Yoshimura/Suzuki Superbike. I can’t wait!”

“Kevin Schwantz looms large in motorcycle and motorcycle-racing history,” said AMA Editorial and Communications Director Mitch Boehm, “and having him as Grand Marshal at Mid-Ohio this summer for the 30th Anniversary of AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days — along with the AMA Superbike that launched his career — will be a treat for everyone involved. VMD has always been a peak summer experience for enthusiasts from all over the country, and we’re planning to make it extra special for Kevin, too.”

For more information visit https.vintagemotorcycledays.com, sign up for the AMA VMD newsletter or follow #AMAVMD on social media channels. To purchase tickets, visit midohio.com/tickets or AMA members can purchase discounted tickets through May 30.

About the American Motorcyclist Association

Founded in 1924, the AMA is a not-for-profit member-based association whose mission is to promote the motorcycle lifestyle and protect the future of motorcycling. As the world’s largest motorcycling rights and event sanctioning organization, the AMA advocates for riders’ interests at all levels of government and sanctions thousands of competition and recreational events every year. Besides offering members money-saving discounts on products and services, the AMA also publishes American Motorcyclist, a recently revitalized and monthly full-color magazine (and digital version of same) that covers current events and motorcycle history with brilliant photography and compelling writing. American Motorcyclist is also North America’s largest-circulation magazine. Through the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio, the AMA honors the heroes and heritage of motorcycling. For more information, visit americanmotorcyclist.com.

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